Packing for piston-rods



(No Model.)

W. AUGUSTUS.

PACKING FOR PISTON RODS- No. 320,525 Patented June23, 1885.

F5206 ZZZ?) 7". a/Lzzw f a wri'us UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIS AUGUSTUS, OF KEOKUK, IO\VA.

PACKING FOR PISTON-RODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,525, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed February 4, 1885. (No model.)

To ail whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIs AUGUSTUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improve. ments in Packings for Piston-Rods; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in piston-rod packing. Y

Heretofore it has been customary to use a metallic packing-ring provided with a spherical end to operate within a spherically-concaved packing receptacle or socket, thereby forming a universal or balljoint; but the objection to such an arrangement is, that it often allows the soft metal of thepacking-ring to crowd or ooze through the space between the packingreceptacle and rod, thereby forming on the end of the packing-ring a feat-her'edge. The result is, that when the packing-receptacle and gland have become a little worn the packing will work through and curl up in very thin layers, resembling tin-foil, and often causing the packing to hug the rod or stem so tightly that it is carried back with the return of the rod against the pressure of the spring, there by causing leakage and serious wear.

The object of my invention is to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties, and reduce the number of parts of a stuffing-box to a minimum, and at the same time to produce a rod-packing which is cheap, durable, and efficient. These objects are attained by a combination of parts, which will be more fully de scribed hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improvement; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the position of parts when the rod is out of a true line; Fig. 3,'a perspective view of the metallic packing-ring detached.

A represents a stuffing-box, and B a gland secured thereto by bolts b b, passing through flanges b b, or in any suitable manner. The

gland B is provided with an enlargement, I, extending outward to form an oil-cell, H, into which waste or wicking can be inserted. Heretofore this ,cell has had a partition between it'and the packing-socket C; but I dispense with such partition, and substitute there. for a shoulder on the back side of said socket, thereby forming a sleeve or flange, c, which extends into the oil-cell a sufficient distance to allow room for the packing material, by which arrangement the cell is made much more accessible. Oil may be supplied to the cell through the aperture d in the top thereof.

A copper washer, a, on the gland B serves to form a more perfect joint when the gland is drawn against the stuffinghox A by the bolts b b.

The annular packing-socket O surrounds the rod G, and is made preferably of brass, and it is hollowed out on one side to form a spherically-concaved bearing-surface for the end of the metallic packingring D, and the opposite side is made to fit snugly against the gland. Said packing-ring D is made solid and of soft anti-friction metal, and adapted to closely embrace the rod G, and the end which is within the concaved surface of the socket G is rectangular.

A shoulder, F, is formed on theopposite end of said ring, for the purpose of keeping the spring E in a central position about the rod, thereby dispensing with theusual follower.

The spring E is made preferably of steel,in order tohave sufficient power to press the packing D so snugly into the socket O that it will effectually maintain a steamtight joint.

By making the packing-ring with a rectangular end the sharp edge thus formed comes in contact with the spherically-concaved bearing-surface of the socket and insures a perfectly steam-tight joint, although thepistonrod may be out of line and the parts not 'all perfectly true, as shown in Fig; 2. A packing ring of this shape ,will not allow the metal to crowd through the space between the rod and socket, and there is no necessity for having the socket and gland fit closely to the rod, as has hitherto been customary. lhe gland and socket will seldom need renewal, no matter how badly worn; in fact, if the holes in these parts are worn a little large it will be no disadvantage, but will admit of lateral deviations of the rod, which is nearly always found out of line.

The spherical bearing-surface of the socket O admits of a universal rocking movement of the packing, and by means of the acute edge of said packing any rocking movement caused by deviations of the rod does not impair the tightness of the joint.

It is obvious that such changes in my device as might suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I feel myself entitled to make such alterations as come within its scope.

I am aware that prior to my invention piston and other rods have been provided with solid metallic packing-rings having one end bearing in a concave socket. Therefore I do not claim such a device, broadly; but

\Vhat I do claim, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a packing for piston-rods and similar articles, a metallic packing-ring provided with a rectangular end operating within a spherically-concaved socket, for the purpose substantially as described.

2. In a packing for piston-rods and similar articles, a stuffing-box provided with a gland having an enlargement extending outward, forming an oil-cell, a socket provided with a flange extending into said cell, and a metallic packing-ring constantly forced into the socket by a spring, all adapted to operate as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIS AUGUSTUS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS TAYLOR, CHAS. E. LAMB. 

